End to breakaway political parties discussed in parliament

The Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, will investigate whether it is possible to stop Parliament Members who split off from their own faction from starting a new faction, NU reports. This is due to the dissatisfaction in the Kamer with the possibilities that parliamentarians have to split off and then continue independently or team up with another loner to form a new faction. After the election in 2012, the Tweede Kamer started off with 11 parties. Since then, 7 parliamentarians broke away from their parties and continued independently or as a group. Currently there are 16 factions in the Tweede Kamer, including two small factions formed by two split members - former PVV members Louis Bontes/Joram van Klaveren and former PvdA members Tunahan Kuzu/Selcuk Ozturk - and three independents - Roland van Vliet (formerly PVV), Johan Houwers (formerly VVD) and Norbert Klein (formerly 50Plus). The Presidium of the Tweede Kamer sees that their is room to limit the forming of a new group in the regulations of the Kamer. For example, it would be possible to tighten or withdraw Article 12 of the Rules of Procedure so that split of members can not form a new group, without violating the constitutional rights of the parliamentarian in question. If the split off parliamentarian is re-elected after elections, he or she will get all the rights of a faction, including time to talk in debates and faction budgets. The Presidium has prepared a note to discuss the possibilities surrounding this matter, which the Tweede Kamer will debate on June 21st.